Our Club is a non-profit organisation – it is run by its members for its members so the only person to profit from your annual membership is you. We bring together women of all ages and cultural backgrounds using English as a common language. We truly reflect the international and lively mixture that is modern Berlin with 200 members, representing over 45 different nationalities. Our members choose from a wide range of regular activities as well as enjoy unrestricted access to unique one-off events. After browsing through our website, we hope that you’d like to find out more about the BIWC, our members and our activities. You’re welcome to come along to our monthly morning and evening Meet & Greets.
Our Membership Secretary 2022-2023, Sue, looks forward to welcoming you
Membership Secretary Sue Flaherty
Hello, I’m Sue Flaherty, from London, UK, and I’m the current Membership Secretary for the BIWC. My husband and I moved to Berlin in 2012, and I joined the BIWC that same year. I took over the Kool Kiez Special Interest Group, along with Eve Adam, in 2015, and this SIG us a popular activity among the members. I was elected in 2018 to be Membership Secretary, which I did for three years, and I was re-elected in 2022.
How do you join the BIWC?
If you have any questions, please email the Membership Secretary at membership.biwc@gmail.com
In person
Come to a Meet & Greet session with your passport and apply directly with the Membership Secretary.
By post
- Download and print the application form
- Complete it
- Sign it
- Attach a photocopy of the data page in your passport
- Post the form to Berlin International Women’s Club, Postfach 60214, 10052 Berlin
Why join our community?
Group Activities
As a new member, your social life in Berlin can truly take off with plenty of group activities to choose from. We have weekly walks around a city lake or park (followed, of course, by a coffee stop!), practicing a second language skill, developing new creative talent, talking about literature at a book group, playing tennis, or trying out the city’s eateries. Members are also welcome to start their own Special Interest Group during the day, in the evening or at weekends.
Special Events
We enjoy group access to places not usually available to single members of the public. Throughout the year, there are special one-off events including guided tours at places of striking historical interest, private views of new exhibitions at embassies or museums, and theatre trips. Seasonal festivities include a summer event and a Christmas dinner.
Cultural Sharing
We offer cultural diversity as a member of our Club. Where else, for example, could you find an event calendar with the opportunity to take part in a Chinese tea ceremony at a member’s home, learn MahJong from an expert, visit the Altar of the Dead at the Mexican embassy, or be invited to a typically English summer tea party, held in aid of charity in a member’s garden?
Monthly Drop-Ins
Twice a month, morning and evening, Meet & Greet sessions are held in the restaurant Kaffeehaus Mila, offering members the chance to drop by unannounced in an informal setting to share a morning coffee or come by after work for a drink or a meal. Potential members are also welcome to attend these sessions to find out more about us.
Kaffeehaus Mila, Grolmanstr 40 (10623) Berlin-Charlottenburg
Information Sharing
All Club activities are open to every member. To stay up to date with what’s on offer, members receive a monthly newsletter with Club news and details of upcoming events. The website is regularly updated and our private and public Facebook pages report on the latest events.
Do you have any questions?
Apart from the Meet & Greet sessions, you need to register with the person organising the group or event. The monthly newsletter will give you the digital contact details to do this as well as information on how to get to the venue.
The newsletter will tell you about any costs involved before you register. Once you receive a confirmation from the organiser, you must pay in advance by bank transfer. Many of the activities are free but you will need to pay entrance fees for museums, galleries, etc. For guided tours, the cost of the guide will be split between the members who attend. Sometimes, this only involves a small contribution towards a gift for the guide.
The Club’s activities are normally restricted to members only. However, there are some events during the year to which partners or friends can be invited. Potential members are welcome to attend two events before becoming a member. You should liaise with our Membership Secretary beforehand.
Yes. However, there may be additional trips to other towns and cities added to the event calendar. We have two International Coordinators who organise trips to visit other international women’s clubs within Europe.
The common language in the Club is English so you need to be able to converse in it. There is an English Speakers group in the Club (as well as a French, German and Spanish group) if you want to further improve your language skills. It is open to all levels.
When you join the Club, you will receive a Membership Directory giving you names, nationalities and a few details provided by each person.
After joining the Club, you can also join the private Facebook group where you can exchange Club-related information and ideas with other members of the group.
On joining the Club, in accordance with the 2018 Data Protection regulations, you will be asked to give your signed permission for the Club to: a) use your email address to send you the newsletter and further information, b) to use the details you have provided about yourself in the Membership Directory, c) to use photos or videos taken at BIWC events for the Club newsletter, website and Facebook pages. You can withhold your permission for c) if you wish.
An Executive Committee (EC) headed by the Club President and made up entirely of volunteers is elected by the members. Any member is free to stand for one of the positions on the Committee and an AGM is held annually.
The BIWC has a Constitution and Club Operating Procedures (COP). The Constitution is the legal and binding document of the Club and the COP are designed to assist the EC in the daily running of the Club. Constitution: English version.